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RV the Oregon Coast,
December, 2005;
Page 3 |
| Oregon Coastal Atlas |
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| December 23, 2005: Today was another moving day. We moved about 20 miles south to Beverly Beach State Park near Newport. On the way, we passed Boiler Bay where three surfers were trying some |
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very rough water due to the recent storms. I guess surfing is like being in a boat, you are OK as long as you don't hit anything.
Our campsite at Beverly Beach is very nice, right next to one of the campground hosts, in fact I had to ask the host for permission to put our satellite dish well on the other side of his coach since we had to shoot between trees to get service. A creek is about 15 feet behind our trailer, the bush in the photo is actually on the opposite side of the creek. Look how Gwen helps to setup camp! |
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After setting up camp, we drove into Newport to take a look around. We were both hungry and decided to look for someplace local and popular. We spotted Flashbacks right on 101. We searched for healthy food. We both chose hamburgers, Gwen chose "curly" fries while I chose "waffle" fries and we split a Mountain Berry milkshake. |
Gwen's burger had mushrooms and onions while my burger came with bacon and blue cheese. Mmm-Good. How is that for healthy food.
After our experience with pinball machines in Lincoln City, we decided to try these at Flashbacks. These cost two quarters rather than one quarter but were twice the fun. I'm still trying to learn to cheat on these machines. I suppose a stronger person could pick them up and tip them from side to side. While I was shooting pinballs, Gwen was playing PacMan for a quarter. |
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December 24, 2005: Our first full day at Beverly Beach State Park took us to the laundromat and then for a short hike onto Beverly Beach. We had to work this in between football games, especially watching the Seattle Seahawks take care of the Indianapolis Colts today. |
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| "Are you ready for Christmas?" That's the question I've heard several times in the last few days from the clerks at retail stores. My answer was always "yes, are you?" Surprisingly, most everyone said "yes". I hope you are too. |
December 25, 2005: Yes, it is time for some Christmas decoration dangling from our awning. Gwen is hanging lights on the inside of the trailer. I guess we hung one bulb too many because it wasn't too long after our decorating when the 30 amp breaker snapped and had to be reset. Fortunately, this happened only once and we kept our decorations lit. We weren't the only trailer in the park with decorations, the host next door had many lights and Christmas stuffed animals for campers to view.
When you put out an awning anytime, and especially during inclement weather, you must be careful about keeping the awning out during wind. I checked the hourly weather forecast twice specifically for wind and no wind was forecast beyond 17 MPH. |
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I remember having to ride a bicycle century ride in pouring rain in a hot pink -too small- plastic rain coat because the weather report did not forecast rain so I left my rain gear home. Still, I left the awning extended. Gwen woke me at 2 am saying that she couldn't open the trailer door because the awning was blocking it ... "this can't be |
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| good" I thought. One of the top brackets (photo above-left) and the opposite bottom bracket (photo above-right) had broken. We took down my Christmas decoration from a flying awning and carefully rolled the awning back to the trailer. Still, it could have been much worse. As Gwen pointed out, an arm could have gone through a window or even the side of the trailer. These are very high quality "Carefree of Colorado" awnings purchased by the previous owner. It looks like both brackets |
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can be replaced. After securing the awning this morning, washing the back window, taking the Morgan for a long walk in the park I repaired three broken day-night shade buttons (above photo). These buttons need to be replaced but should hold until replacement. I also dug a trench to prepare for the forecast rain since our plan is
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| to remain in this great park through Monday night and rain is forecast for today and tomorrow. The last "chore" of this Christmas day was to watch the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers. |
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December 26, 2005: After breakfast we took a walk on Agate Beach. It must have be discovered by "George Agate" because there were NO agates on this beach. The Yaquina Head light house is just behind Gwen and Morgan across the bay.
Our next adventure was to find Nye Beach, a small part of Newport developed for beach recreation in the 1880's. In the early 1900's there were many cabins and camping in this area but today you will find many gift shops with a nautical theme. |
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The Newport Bridge crosses Yaquina Bay where many fishing boats can be found. From what I could see, most were set up for crabs. We visited "old-town Newport" where we found "Local Ocean" restaurant and seafood market. I'd have taken a photo but a motorhome was parked directly in front and block the view. This was by far the best seafood restaurant we have visited so far. |
| December 27, 2005: This was moving day from Beverly Beach to the Sea Perch RV Park, 6.5 miles south of Yachats, about 40 miles. On the way, we tried to see a campground that was closed. Oh-Oh ... a U-turn on a narrow road. Fortunately, during the summer in Ashland, I watched a semi-truck make a U-turn on a two lane, narrow street. I was amazed at how easy he made it look and practiced the manuver in Grants Pass on my own street. Yes, I could probably turn around on a street that is not even as wide as the trailer is long using this technique. You do have to drag |
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the trailer tires sideways as the trailer pivots but I did it gently and the road was wet making is easier on the tires. Someday I'll write a page showing how to do it. |
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We left Beverly Beach State Park at 9am, our earliest start time yet. We arrived at Sea Perch RV Park well before noon and everything including the Internet was set up by noon. That gave us time to enjoy the view from the trailer and to drive to Perpetua Point for additional sight seeing. Gwen and I both crowded around the one desk in the rear of the trailer to get the best view. You can see both monitors on the desk as we |
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both work on our projects while looking at the view. I stood on the edge of the ocean to |
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| photograph the trailer then I turned 180 degrees to photograph the sea. You can see both those photos if you place your mouse pointer on the photo to the right. This is to be a stormy day yet the storm won't arrive until this evening so we have a chance to enjoy Cape Perpetua, trails and views. |
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The sea is very rough today due to the approaching storm. It has created a great deal of foam. The view at the left is from Cape Perpetua Lookout point about 800+ feet above Hiway 101. The espresso and information building is below, looking |
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| south toward the incoming storm. The photo below is looking north toward Yachats. This town is larger than I expected it to be when viewing from a high vantage point. Morgan and I decided to walk down from this high view point to the visitor center while Gwen drove the truck. The sign said it was only 1.25 miles but it seemed further. |
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December 28, 2005: Last night was a first for us, we were at our limit to solutions to weather problems. We chose a camping site next to the ocean and from 10pm to 2am, the wind blew at least 65mph although it seemed like much more. I looked at the weather report today and they reported 65mph. The only serious problem was the wind tried to take our awning even though I had not extended it. Either the damage done the other day or a mistaken |
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| setting allowed the wind to get under the awning and attempt to fill it with air. Nothing seemed to work to bring it under control and there was nothing we could tie a rope to which kept it rolled. I finally thought of the two adjustable "C" clamps so at 12:30am finally kept the awning from unrolling (see the two photos above). This was no light wind, the strongest I have ever been in. One gust took my ladder out from under me but I had one hand on an awning arm and the other on the trailer ladder so swung myself around and climbed down the trailer ladder. I was most concerned about the satellite dish, but it stayed rock solid. Note how I had driven the legs into the soft earth then screwed an auger tie-down rod into the ground for a center anchor. This is a photo the morning after the storm. I had to re-point the dish but no other problem. |
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We passed Heceta Head Lighthouse on our way to Coos Bay Mill Casino and our only boondock of the trip in their RV parking area. I was still able to setup Internet Satellite using a DC inverter to power the modem and router. Gwen's laptop is being powered by a smaller inverter I keep for emergencies. I won't be turning on my computer because it uses far too much power. The inverter is connected directly to the truck battery (photo below left) then I use an |
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extension cord to reach from the inverter to the modem/router in the rear of the trailer. I pass the extension cord between the rubber gasket separating the slide and trailer (photo to the right). Of course I could just plug the trailer power cord into the inverter but there are too many unknown power users which would have to be turned off first. This is only a 400 watt inverter connected to the truck battery.
Click the photo below to see an enlarged view of RV parking area near the casino. They are in the process of building a true RV park so the free parking will probably come to an end soon. |
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| December 29, 2005: We've done it to ourselves again ... moved to a location only a few feet from the beach at Irelands RV Park in Gold Beach. It is our intention to stay a week. This is one of our favorite RV parks and usually much better winter weather than our home in Grants Pass. During this last week, the whole west coast has been |
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| hit by one storm after another. While Grants Pass is reporting heavy rain and flood warnings, the coast is reporting wind approaching 70 MPH and tonight is one of those nights. We arrived before the main storm hit the coast, I was able to set up the trailer, preparing for high wind and connecting all the utilities including the Internet in only light wind and rain. Yet before I could post today's travel report, the dish was blown off satellite point and I was unwilling to re-point in the high wind we were experiencing. No trouble with the awning this time but this post is late. |
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